9pm. Arun and I make a “quick” stop, catch the end of the homam which is a small affair done on the street which is blocked for this and by the ther and the mooshika vahana. There are 2 musicians, 1 nadaswaram, 1 thavil. Vastu Shanti happens, with the purusha fashioned in grass and dragged around the temple by one of the usual priests normally inside the temple.
The Vinayaka purappadu also stopped a block away outside an SBI bank where there’s a single stone covered in manjal. Mrtsangrahanam happened here. There a quick altar set up and a body like figure quickly fashioned with some gravel brought on a plate from the temple. Some flowers and words said over this, deeparadhanai for the pillaiyar and the figure was dismantled and the flowers and sand/gravel returned to the plate. The purappadu continued as usual & we headed home.
Tomorrow’s Brahmotsavam starts with the flag raising at 930am.